LPG or natural gas boiler
Updated: 17.10.2026
LPG or natural gas boiler is settled by the supply already on the property. A gas meter means an appliance rated for mains gas. An LPG tank or cylinder means an appliance rated for that LPG pressure. A regulator from the other box does not cross the two. Peter F., DIY & tools editor, checked Energy Saving Trust, OFTEC, Liquid Gas UK, and the amazon.co.uk listings in our [gas boiler comparison](/hub/hot-water/gas-boiler) on 15 October 2026. We did not meter a cylinder. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
LPG or natural gas boiler is settled by the supply already on the property. A gas meter means an appliance rated for mains gas. An LPG tank or cylinder means an appliance rated for that LPG pressure.
LPG or natural gas boiler is settled by the supply already on the property. A gas meter means an appliance rated for mains gas. An LPG tank or cylinder means an appliance rated for that LPG pressure. A regulator from the other box does not cross the two. Peter F., DIY & tools editor, checked Energy Saving Trust, OFTEC, Liquid Gas UK, and the amazon.co.uk listings in our gas boiler comparison on 15 October 2026. We did not meter a cylinder. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Gas | Pressure | Regulator | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Camplux Camplux BW158BC 6 L with rain cap | Propane or butane | 37 mbar | 27 mm clip-on | 8.9 | about £219.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Gasland Gasland BG300NG 11 L/min natural gas | Natural gas only | 20 mbar | Not a bottle | 8.1 | about £178.49 | View offer |
| Preis-Tipp |  Camplux Camplux AY132B 5 L portable | Propane | 37 mbar | In the box | 8.4 | about £150.44 | View offer |
On this page
Mains gas when you can get it
Where a home is on the gas grid, Energy Saving Trust says a modern condensing gas boiler is usually the cheapest of the common fuels to run, set against oil, electricity, LPG, and house coal. That is an order of fuels, not this winter’s unit rate. OFTEC, writing on 22 August 2024, published Great Britain averages from June 2020 to June 2024: gas condensing about £1,283, and LPG condensing about £1,620, which OFTEC describes as 31% higher. Those averages are for central-heating boilers, not a 5 L camping shower.
A cheaper propane heater on the shelf is not a reason to hang it on a mains meter. How to size a fitted boiler is on the buying guide.
LPG when you are off the grid
Off the gas grid, OFTEC’s consumer guidance treats LPG as one of the more expensive heating fuels. Bulk tanks are often owned by the supplier. Rental and a supply contract are a different line on the bill from the gas itself. A bulk tank feeding a fixed LPG boiler is not a patio cylinder feeding a camping shower.
If you are comparing an off-grid quote, ask who owns the tank, what the rental is, and how long the contract runs. Put OFTEC’s £1,620 average beside that quote as context, not as a number the supplier has to honour. A portable from this Amazon set is a regulator matched to a cylinder, used outdoors. Which of those portables has the stronger review file is on the best gas boiler page.
Pressures that must match
Liquid Gas UK’s consumer guidance sheet 39 gives the nominal UK domestic figures: butane regulators at 28–30 mbar, and propane at 37 mbar. Some caravans built to EN 1949 use 30 mbar for both gases. A 30 mbar caravan regulator is not a 37 mbar house propane regulator, and it is not the supply a 20 mbar mains appliance is built for. GOV.UK publishes the gas types and supply pressures appliances have to match. The data plate and the supply have to be the same gas at the same pressure.
A 20 mbar natural-gas heater on a 37 mbar propane bottle is the wrong appliance, even if the hose nut turns. Do not jet-convert a listing to match a bottle you already own. If the caravan is the 30 mbar exception, buy the appliance that states 30 mbar.
Which kept listing is which gas
The BG300NG at £178.49 and the GS318NG at £151.99 are both 20 mbar methane.The BG264 at £249.99 is propane at 30/37 mbar, with battery ignition, and it stays on propane. Shared reviews across those three ASINs are one file. They are not proof that the BG264 has run on natural gas.
The portables are LPG. The AY132B at £150.44 includes a 37 mbar regulator. The BW158BC bullets describe a 37 mbar regulator for a 27 mm propane clip-on, and allow butane when the regulator matches the bottle. None of them is a 20 mbar mains appliance.
Regulators and who installs
UK reviews already show the collar problem. On the Nano 3 Pro, the supplied 27 mm propane regulator did not fit a 21 mm cylinder. On the AY132B, a buyer had to change the supplied regulator. On the BW158BC, the regulator is for the 27 mm clip-on in the bullets, and a different bottle did not fit. The cure is the regulator made for that cylinder, not a spanner on the wrong nut.
Anything fixed indoors still needs a Gas Safe registered engineer whose card covers that gas. A correct fuel match does not make the connection legal for an unregistered person. The BG300NG and BG264 bullets require professional installation and a 110 mm flue that is not in the box. How far you may go with pipes is on the gas boiler installation page.
Common questions
Should I buy a natural gas or an LPG boiler?
Buy natural gas if the home has a mains meter, and an LPG appliance only if the supply is LPG. OFTEC’s June 2020 to June 2024 averages put gas condensing at about £1,283 a year and LPG condensing at about £1,620. Those figures are not this year’s tariff.
Can I convert the BG300NG to propane with a different regulator?
The BG300NG is natural gas at 20 mbar only, at £178.49. The propane listing is the BG264, at 30/37 mbar. A different regulator does not turn one into the other. If the supply is propane, start from a plate that says propane.
What pressure is a UK propane bottle versus butane?
Liquid Gas UK’s sheet 39 puts propane regulators at a nominal 37 mbar and butane at 28–30 mbar. Some EN 1949 caravans use 30 mbar for both. A 20 mbar figure is mains gas, not a bottle. A caravan regulator is not a 37 mbar house supply.
Why did the regulator in the box not fit?
The cylinder collar and the regulator collar are a pair. On the Nano 3 Pro, a 27 mm propane clip-on did not fit a 21 mm cylinder. The AY132B and BW158BC files include the same mismatch. Forcing the nut is not a conversion.
Is LPG cheaper to run than mains gas?
Where the grid exists, Energy Saving Trust puts mains gas ahead of LPG. OFTEC’s June 2020 to June 2024 average has LPG condensing about 31% higher, about £1,620 against about £1,283. That is their average, not a camping-shower bill. Tank rental sits on top.
Who has to install a fixed LPG appliance in a home?
A Gas Safe engineer installs a fixed indoor appliance, and the card has to cover LPG if that is the supply. Pipes and radiators can be arranged separately. The connection cannot. Matching a camping regulator does not remove that line.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the eleven amazon.co.uk listings, last checked on 17 October 2026.
- Energy Saving Trust: Boilers (retrieved 17 October 2026)
- Which?: How to buy the best boiler (retrieved 17 October 2026)
- BEIS: Boiler Plus policy clarification (retrieved 17 October 2026)
- HSE: Who can do landlord gas safety checks (retrieved 17 October 2026)
- Regulation 36, Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
- Gas Safe Register: Overview (retrieved 17 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, England Q&A for landlords (retrieved 17 October 2026)
- Liquid Gas UK: Consumer Guidance Sheet 39 (retrieved 17 October 2026)